Aoshima 01041 Epsilon Launch Vehicle

Epsilon is a modern Japanese carrier rocket that first launched into space in September 2013. The length of the rocket is 24.4 meters, with a diameter of 2.5 meters and a total weight of 91 tons. The rocket is able to carry a payload of up to 1,200 kilograms to a low orbit around the Earth (up to 500 kilometers), and a payload of 450 kilograms to a heliosynchronous orbit (SSO). The Epsilon rocket was developed by the Japanese Aero-space Agency (JAXA) and IHI Aerospace as a successor to the M-5 launcher. Compared to its predecessor, it is smaller - both in length and diameter - and has a significantly lower total weight. Until September 2017, the Epsilon rocket successfully launched three times from the Uchinoura Space Center. It is assumed that the cost of one rocket launch is 39 million dollars, which is two times lower than that of the M-5 rocket.